Hmm. I don’t think that list would be too much of a surprise to any literate, relatively well informed American. Half of those things are a running joke here. We frequently joke about us being fat, nationalistic, paranoid etc. The only one I would disagree with would be that we as a whole are ungrateful and do not show affection. That seems to vary based on locale in the US.

I’m just confused as to why the writer thought he was giving us such great insight?

While some Americans are ignorant and think America is God’s gift to the world, that really tends to be the under-educated.

I once dated a guy who dropped out of high school who was convinced that the US was the greatest place in the world, and every other country is a slum.

Most Americans who complete high school and even a little college are aware that the US is NOT the most perfect country ever to exist. Our health care is crap, our maternity leave is pathetic, and we’re fat. It’s cool–we know!

What you’re reading is the view of an overly-opinionated dickbag. Are you guys familiar with the term “hipster”? He’s “too cool” for the US like hipsters are “too cool” for anything mainstream (like using a bike with gears, or wearing functional eye-wear).

I take more of an issue with the author himself and his tone than with the actual content. I don’t think he was sharing *brand new, ground breaking information* <-insert sarcastic eye roll here. I think that most semi-informed and educated Amercians are aware of these things. I just don’t care much for the author and his air of self importance and superiority complex. If you don’t like America, then by all means, leave. No skin off my back.

I think some of the things he said were true, but some of them have that “Oh, I used to live in America, but as an adult I have seen the rest of the world and now I am soooo englightened!” aura. He’s quite the know it all.

I grew up in Germany and the USA, and have lived in a couple other countries and visited a lot more peppered along the way.

Certain points of his ring true to some places… and incredibly false in comparison to others. Such as living situations and the general status quo in regards to it. I thought his mark about never feeling unsafe in places was interesting – because that actually varies quite a bit when you are a citizen of that place and when you are a visitor.

If I go to a rural part of India or Cambodia, say a town where women are trafficked or raped in the open on a weekly basis, with police officials knowing about it and allowing it, I do not have to fear for my own safety the same way those girls do. American or no, those clearly outside the culture do not get treated the same way. But it is also equally true that many places have much better standards of living than people perhaps would imagine or think. Some of the points are true to some degree but were so greatly exaggerated that they lost credibility.

Basically, I think his article makes some decent, albeit generalizing points, but they are somewhat soured by his rather obviously large ego, and his still being in that glowing, doe-eyed honeymoon phase with the rest of the world. Which is understable, the rest of the world is awesome, but once you get past that “There lots of cool things other places TOO?!” phase, you begin to notice that every society has its major cracks, those things that are pet peeves to its citizens, just like him (and me, and many other Americans) when looking at the USA.

I found the article an exaggeration; in particular, I don’t know any Americans who say curse words instead of, “I like you.” Everyone I know says, “Thank you,” “Please,” and are fairly polite people, except for SOME arrogant teenagers. I guess we know what this writer’s friends were all like! This guy sounds horribly rude; he is upset with American women for being put off when he declares his attraction for them (what, does he just accost them on the street? Does he think French women, for example, would drop everything to go out with him?) Please! French women have to fend off brash pickup artists all the time, and they do it by freezing them out, not by smiling in amazement that some guy told them how beautiful they are. This dude sounds like he’s still kind of clueless about how other human beings might perceive him. I wouldn’t trust his opinion on anyone from any country.

I’m kind of “meh” about the artical….the author didn’t blow me away, the information wasn’t anything new. Idk, I feel like most educated and decently informed Americans would know those things. I don’t disagree with what he said by any means, just think his tone was a little much for me haha

@MrsPaulsBabyBallerina: +1. Not that his points were necessarily wrong, but his level of self-importance and ever so enlightened air made him sound more like the American attitude he was describing than the vast majority of people I have met.

“Just like you didn’t realize the weird quirks and nuances of your family until you left and spent time with others, the same is true for country and culture. You often don’t see what’s messed up about your country and culture until you step outside of it.”

Living abroad makes me feel like this author. I love the US and there’s lots of wonderful, amazing things about it, but there’s also a lot of fucked up things that nationalists either actually like or conveniently ignore. I think a balanced view is in order. I’ve also learned, however, that a massively overinflated sense of nationalistic self-importance is not just an American thing… I wish *everyone* would just drop it and be more realistic.

Interesting article! But yeah, most of this I already knew. I wish the author could have written more professionally. It is definitely very true though and unfortunately many people do not want to realize it – but many do. 🙂

I’m not saying that I don’t agree with some of the conclusions, because I know people who fit the whole list to a ‘t’, but to be honest if you live in any place long enough you could make up your own list like that. Not to mention, I’m sure traveling to so many places and talking to lots of people who have never even been to the U.S. and now living outside his own country, his opinion might be jaded.

That’s like wearing a sweater that you love and cherish and someone walks up to you and says,”Hey, that’s an ugly-ass sweater!” You’ll probably get offended at first, but then that seed is planted and you start to wonder if that sweater really is ugly. It’s the same principle.

The guy sounds a bit like an arrogant prick, but I do agree with some of his points.

#1 and 2 – Actually, I’ve found a lot people excited to talk to me because I am American. That said, a lot of people around the world aren’t pleased with our country, and therefore may no be pleased with its people, but I would agree most don’t care as much.

#3 – Totally true. I find that Americans are so freaking ignorant of other places, whereas all of my English friends know tons about the US. My Fiance is so annoyed that everyone assumes he’s from London because after all, that’s all there is in England.

#4 – Somewhat true, but it is regional. Less affectionate in a place like NYC, but a small town? Definitely more friendly.

#5 – Compared to the rest of the world, our life actually is really stinkin’ great. We don’t have that many people starving to death, whereas in some parts of the world, that is the norm. But no, we’re not the supreme beings of the world.

#6 – True to a degree, for sure. People imagine all of Africa as being poverty-striken with people living in tin huts, and that isn’t true at all.

#10 – I agree that our cultures tries to accumulate more “stuff” rather than experiences. But I don’t think the author should bash people for not vacationing like him and getting down and dirty. Some people want to relax and be lazy, and that’s awesome. He needs to get over his “holier than thou” attitude.

And there you have all my thoughts. I apologize for the novel. I did not expect that! haha.